The July FIDE rating list of world rankings was the first without undisputed chess king Garry Kasparov at the top for over 20 years. After a year of inactivity following his retirement from competitive chess, his rating became inactive and dropped off the list. Several players confirmed they are contenders for the crown in the post-Kasparov era in the same list.
FIDE World Champion Veselin Toplalov (Bulgaria) now well and truly becomes the number one player in the world, and put that status on a firmer footing by overtaking Kasparov's final rating, albeit by just one point. Classical World Champion, Vladimir Kramnik showed he is back on form after a long absence for treatment to a debilitating arthritic condition, and rises to 4th on the list. Kramnik had the highesst rating performance on top board for Russia at the recent Olympiad, which bodes well for the reunification match with Toplalov planned for later this year. Just above Kramnik, Levon Aronian cemented his place at number 3 on the back of an impressive performance at the head Armenia's Olympiad gold-winning team.
Lower in the list there were ominous rises from Gata Kamsky (USA), on the comeback trail and showing he is back to world class level, and two youngsters: Sergei Karyakin (16,Ukraine) has just won a strong tournament in Tomsk, Russia by a large margin, and Magnus Carlsen (15) has just tied for the national championship of Norway for the third year running.
Today's game is a brilliant miniature from the Olympiad featuring Aronian with the black pieces against Ivan Sokolov of the Netherlands. Annotations are based on those by Malcolm Pein in the UK Telegraph.
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5 c5
This is the sharpest way to counter 4.Qc2 in the Nimzo-Indian. Black plans to counter-attack the pinned knight on c3. 7.dxc5 h6 8.Bh4 g5 9.Bg3 Ne4 10.Bxb8 ---
Best is 10 e3 to answer Qa5 with 11 Nge2. White will be punished for neglecting his kingside development. 10. --- Qf6!
Black hits c3 a third time and threatens Qxf2. 11.Bg3 Nxc3 12.a3 Bf5 13.Qd2 Ba5 14.b4 ---
Even after the critical 14 e3! 0-0-0! 15 Nf3 (or 15.b4 d4! 16.bxa5 dxe3 wins) 15...d4!! 16.Be5 (16.Nxd4 Rxd4 17.exd4 Re8+) 16...dxe3! 17.fxe3 Rxd2 18.Bxf6 Rxb2 19.Bxh8 Nd5+ 20.Nd2 Bxd2+ Black wins. 14. ---Ne4 15.Qc1 Rc8!!
Showing the c5 pawn is not really defended, despite appearances. White is so undeveloped he cannot stop the breakthrough on the c-file. 16.Ra2 ---
Or 16.bxa5 Rxc5 17.Qd1 Qc3+ 18.Qd2 Qxd2 mate. 16. --- Rxc5 17.Qa1 Qc6!
A brilliant finish, White is mated on c1 once the checks run out. 18.Qe5+ Kd8! 19.Qxh8+ Kd7
0-1
Solution:1... Bd8+! 2 Kxh5 Rxh2+ 3 Kxg4 (3 Kg6? Rxh7 wins a Rook) Rxh7 4 Bxh7+ Kxh7
and the bishop is the right colour to promote the a-pawn after Black wins White's 2 pawns using the extra piece.
Players on the rise
Problem: Black to play and win (first 4 moves).
The July FIDE rating list of world rankings was the first without undisputed chess king Garry Kasparov at the top for over 20 years. After a year of inactivity following his retirement from competitive chess, his rating became inactive and dropped off the list. Several players confirmed they are contenders for the crown in the post-Kasparov era in the same list.
FIDE World Champion Veselin Toplalov (Bulgaria) now well and truly becomes the number one player in the world, and put that status on a firmer footing by overtaking Kasparov's final rating, albeit by just one point. Classical World Champion, Vladimir Kramnik showed he is back on form after a long absence for treatment to a debilitating arthritic condition, and rises to 4th on the list. Kramnik had the highesst rating performance on top board for Russia at the recent Olympiad, which bodes well for the reunification match with Toplalov planned for later this year. Just above Kramnik, Levon Aronian cemented his place at number 3 on the back of an impressive performance at the head Armenia's Olympiad gold-winning team.
Lower in the list there were ominous rises from Gata Kamsky (USA), on the comeback trail and showing he is back to world class level, and two youngsters: Sergei Karyakin (16,Ukraine) has just won a strong tournament in Tomsk, Russia by a large margin, and Magnus Carlsen (15) has just tied for the national championship of Norway for the third year running.
Today's game is a brilliant miniature from the Olympiad featuring Aronian with the black pieces against Ivan Sokolov of the Netherlands. Annotations are based on those by Malcolm Pein in the UK Telegraph.
1.d4 Nf6
2.c4 e6
3.Nc3 Bb4
4.Qc2 d5
5.cxd5 exd5
6.Bg5 c5
This is the sharpest way to counter 4.Qc2 in the Nimzo-Indian. Black plans to counter-attack the pinned knight on c3.
7.dxc5 h6
8.Bh4 g5
9.Bg3 Ne4
10.Bxb8 ---
Best is 10 e3 to answer Qa5 with 11 Nge2. White will be punished for neglecting his kingside development.
10. --- Qf6!
Black hits c3 a third time and threatens Qxf2.
11.Bg3 Nxc3
12.a3 Bf5
13.Qd2 Ba5
14.b4 ---
Even after the critical 14 e3! 0-0-0! 15 Nf3 (or 15.b4 d4! 16.bxa5 dxe3 wins) 15...d4!! 16.Be5 (16.Nxd4 Rxd4 17.exd4 Re8+) 16...dxe3! 17.fxe3 Rxd2 18.Bxf6 Rxb2 19.Bxh8 Nd5+ 20.Nd2 Bxd2+ Black wins.
14. ---Ne4
15.Qc1 Rc8!!
Showing the c5 pawn is not really defended, despite appearances. White is so undeveloped he cannot stop the breakthrough on the c-file.
16.Ra2 ---
Or 16.bxa5 Rxc5 17.Qd1 Qc3+ 18.Qd2 Qxd2 mate.
16. --- Rxc5
17.Qa1 Qc6!
A brilliant finish, White is mated on c1 once the checks run out.
18.Qe5+ Kd8!
19.Qxh8+ Kd7
0-1
Solution:1... Bd8+! 2 Kxh5 Rxh2+ 3 Kxg4 (3 Kg6? Rxh7 wins a Rook) Rxh7 4 Bxh7+ Kxh7
and the bishop is the right colour to promote the a-pawn after Black wins White's 2 pawns using the extra piece.